ISF to open a Creche in autumn next year!

Posted by Belinda YatesDate: 10 May 2016

ISF Waterloo will open a creche on its premises in Chaussée de Waterloo 280 this autumn. The exact date is still to be confirmed. The creche will be trilingual (English/Dutch/French) giving families an opportunity to choose the language they wish their child to be spoken to.

The creche will be located in the existing Pre-School building following extensive renovations during the summer. This purpose-built area will be based on Dr Karen Dobkins’ research on the effects of the sensory environment on visual development and mental well-being of infants. Dr Dobkins is a psychology professor at the University of California in San Diego, and heads up the Infant Vision Laboratory.

Dr Dobkins is a world authority on the design and development of learning spaces for kids and has been working with a creche in Antwerp run by ISF’s partner Rainbows International Daycare. The new ISF Waterloo creche will adopt and further enhance the proven successes of the Rainbows project and Dr Dobkins’ work.

When children reach 2.5 years of age, they can continue in the dynamic ISF Waterloo Pre-School where they also take part in whole school activities such as the annual Winter Show and Summer Fair. The stimulating Pre-School programme provides an excellent foundation for a lifetime of learning. Through play and structured activities, children explore concepts of literacy and numeracy in a fun and interactive environment, including visits to the school library, French lessons, and using Google tablets and educational apps.

“We are very excited to expand our offering to include a daycare for babies. It has been a pleasure working with Dr Dobkins who has over 20 years of experience in Visual Neuroscience. We look forward to seeing the final design of our creche in reality which will be based on principles from developmental Neuroscience and Psychology, with the goal of enhancing sensory experiences and mental well-being,” said ISF Waterloo Head of School Mrs Belinda Yates.